Everything Needed to Make Mead: The Ultimate Gift Guide

The holidays are approaching! Do you have someone on your Festivus, Hanukkah or Christmas list who wants to make mead at home? Are you also at a complete loss for how to shop for them? Stop fretting about it. This gift guide is going to make two things happen. First, you’re going to find the perfect gift for your home brewing homie. Then, you’re going to be the rock star of said homie’s holiday 2018. Full disclosure: most of the links are affiliate links. That means that you pay the usual price but the ecommerce site kicks me a small commission. I do not receive any information (who shopped, who bought what, etc).

How to Shop For Mead Makers

Shopping for a homebrewer, no matter what they brew, can be tricky. This list is specific to those who make mead. I’ve divided up everything: equipment, ingredients, resources and more. But let me give you the best advice up front. Ready? Ask. Just like you wouldn’t buy any old golf club for a golfer, your friend who makes mead might only use specific brands, materials or ingredients. It’s okay to ask what they want or need! They’ll appreciate it. I suggest reading below to get a better sense of how to approach buying gifts for friends and family brewing mead, but if you want to, you can also just skip right down to the gift guide.

So Fresh! So Clean!

This is super unsexy, but as a homebrewer I can tell you that one thing I’d love is for someone to buy me detergent and sanitizer. Brewing requires equipment to be cleaned and sanitized (it’s literally the most important part of the brewing process) and we can’t pull this off with regular detergent and the “sanitize” setting on the dishwasher. If someone else buys it it also means I can devote some more of my homebrewing budget to items on my wish list.

There are a few things to keep in mind if you decide to go this route.

Most brewers prefer to use a specific brand of detergent and sanitizer. Ask or snoop to find out their preferred brand and volume. I’d love to buy large sizes but there’s not enough storage in my loft so I have to go small, for example.

If it’s a new brewer get the good stuff. One of the most common mistakes of new brewers is not cleaning/sanitizing well enough so set the new mead maker up with known, trusted brands.

Skip the 2-in-1. Unless a brewer specifically asks for this, I’d go with a separate detergent and sanitizing liquid. Just like I don’t trust shampoo and conditioner “in one” I don’t understand the physics of this. And most home and com

mercial brewers will tell you it’s better to do the steps separately.

Skip the Clorox. I’m not sure why, but many homebrewers use, and write about how it’s fine to use, bleach to sanitize their equipment. No! Don’t do it. Real sanitizers don’t require rinsing because you’re just putting organic material back onto your equipment when rinsing. Clorox requires a ton of rinsing, especially on any plastic materials (ie. siphoning hoses) because the smell is so hard to get rid of. Just use sanitizer. Real sanitizer.

Don’t forget accessories! Bacteria that flaws brews hides out in all the nooks and crannies. Brushes for siphon hoses, buckets and bottles are a much-needed part. I also use a spray bottle with sanitizing solution for when I inevitably put something down on an unsanitized surface, or drop something on the floor.

Brewing Equipment For Making Mead

Carboys and siphon hoses and long-handled spoons, oh my! There aren’t as many pieces of equipment needed to make mead as there are to brew beer but there is still lots of equipment. Keep this stuff in mind when selecting homebrewing equipment for someone on your gift list.

Materials matter. I like to use stainless steel and glass in my brewing. Some people swear by plastic. Ask your mead maker if they have a preference.

Volume matters, too. Buying five-gallon equipment for a one-gallon brewer results in returns or, worse, equipment taking up space. Be sure to find out what capacity the recipient needs.

Consider kits. For fewer than $50 you can purchase mead equipment kits for the mead maker who hasn’t started their journey yet. My anti-plastic approach aside, these are—admittedly—one of the best gifts for people who want to start but are worried about having the right stuff.

If They Make Mead, They Need…

Carboys (pick 2 of the same size)

To make mead there are two separate fermentations thus two carboys are needed.

To make mead brewers need at least one drilled bung that fits her carboy. In addition, she needs an airlock. Finally, if she is not bottling and likes to drink mead young, a cap or solid rubber stopper is a necessity. There are no caps for 3-gallon carboys so a rubber stopper must be used.

Funnels (Pick 1)

Yes, this sounds like the perfect item to pick up at the local dollar store but plastic funnels degrade and scratch. Those scratches trap odors and bacteria. I recommend using a stainless steel or silicon funnel for the best outcome. And, plastic is just a bad choice.

Siphons (Pick 1)

Bottling Supplies

If you know someone who likes to make mead and bottle it, there are extra pieces of equipment needed. Swingtop bottles are the most eco-friendly, although a little more pricey. All beer bottles, including the ones you buy your fav brew in, can be sterilized and used. You must buy caps if you use beer bottles. They generally don’t come with caps. Never reuse caps. And don’t use clear bottles!

Ingredients for Mead

Brews require ingredients. In the case of mead, that means at least honey, yeast and water. But many experienced brewers like to play with unique flavors, oak and more. Many of the ingredients many of us would like to include can be a little pricey but make the perfect gift. Your mead making friend will love you for your thoughtful gesture and likely share the wealth with you in a year or so when the mead is finally done!

When buying honey for someone to make mead, get 3-4 pounds of local honey. Same with spices, fruit and other perishables. Save your online shopping for yeast and oak. If you must buy honey online look for unpasteurized, unprocessed honey.

If They Make Mead, They Need…

Yeast

To make mead, add about 1 gram of yeast per gallon. Play around with this for each mead: some leave more flavor others leave less. Keep good notes! Most packets contain at least 5g, refrigerate the extra in an airtight container.

Oaking Supplies

Oak adds texture and flavor to mead, and can help set mead apart. If you’ve got someone in your life who wants to make mead that gets noticed, a gift to help them experiment with oak might be the perfect thing.

Mead Making Resources

Brewers need way more than cleaners, equipment, ingredients and the like. One of the best gifts for brewers are academic in nature. From a magazine subscription to a book, if you have someone who wants to up their game, these make great gifts and are often something a brewer would never buy for themselves. Got someone on the list who wants to make mead for the first time? There are books for that, too! Wait, I WROTE ONE OF THOSE!